• November 1, 2007 |

    Bunzl in-houser joins London firm as partner

    An in-house lawyer at outsourcing company Bunzl has left to join London law firm Winckworth Sherwood as a partner in its commercial team. Neil Morgan specialises in UK and international acquisitions and disposals, commercial contracts and risk assessment. Before joining Bunzl, Morgan spent six years with Allen & Overy. Winckworth's head of commercial, Richard Tinham, said Morgan's experience would help the firm understand its clients.

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  • November 1, 2007 |

    Simmons scores client double on back of new energy financing deal expertise

    Simmons & Simmons has won two new clients on the back of its experience of a new financing structure, as the firm continues to build on its energy credentials. The firm has advised Egyptian private equity firm Citadel Capital on its subsidiary's $850m (£415m) purchase of oil and gas exploration company Rally Energy Group.

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  • November 1, 2007 |

    Commentary: Green shoots finally start to sprout in the LBO market

    OK, it is not quite as grim as some banking lawyers feared at the start of September. The leveraged finance market is creaking back into life, at least compared with the total shutdown of recent weeks. October saw some debt moved on two benchmark leveraged buy-outs (LBOs) - First Data in the US and Alliance Boots in Europe - even if the banks have had to offer a lot of concessions and only move a fraction of the total. But moving again it is, while credit spreads have begun to again narrow both in the corporate bond and money markets, easing the chronic liquidity squeeze that under-pinned the gloom.

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  • October 31, 2007 |

    Deal Week Dispatch: 31/10/2007

    Deal Week Dispatch brings readers an early taster of news from Legal Week's unparalleled deals coverage, with Osborne Clarke, Olswang and DLA Piper among the movers and shakers

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  • October 30, 2007 |

    Lives less ordinary

    At The American Lawyer Awards they hand out no fewer than eight lifetime achievement gongs. But it doesn’t feel like overkill when you learn…

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  • October 30, 2007 |

    A&O keeps top spot in latest debt rankings

    Allen & Overy (A&O) has retained its top spot in the latest quarterly international debt capital markets rankings, having advised deal managers on 545 deals worth a combined $280.3bn (£135.8bn) - representing an 8% market share since the beginning of the year. Linklaters held on to second place in the table, acting on 415 deals worth $221.6bn (£107bn), according to research by Thomson Financial.

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  • October 29, 2007 |

    Ex-federal prosecutor joins A&O in New York

    Allen & Overy (A&O) has hired the former chief of the securities fraud unit for the Southern District US Attorney's Office in a boost for its New York office. David Esseks will join the City giant's Manhattan arm as a partner, where he will specialise in white-collar and securities litigation. From 2003 until June 2007, Esseks served as head of the US' premier white-collar prosecution unit, supervising a staff of 20 Assistant US Attorneys.

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  • October 29, 2007 |

    Brussels corporate man next to exit Freshfields

    Brussels-based Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer corporate partner Klaus Heinemann is leaving the City giant to join local independent Marx Van Ranst Vermeersch & Partners. Heinemann, who is qualified in both Belgium and Germany, joins his new firm on Thursday (1 November) after 16 years with the magic circle law firm.

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  • October 25, 2007 |

    A&O joins US duo on creation of $80bn superfund

    Allen & Overy (A&O), Mayer Brown and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton have bagged roles advising on the creation of an $80bn (£39bn) superfund designed to kick-start the financial markets. A&O and Mayer Brown are advising the structuring banks - Citi, Bank of America and JP Morgan - on UK and US matters respectively.

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  • October 24, 2007 |

    A&O bags a hat-trick as electronics deal marks third billion-pound role this month

    Allen & Overy (A&O) has bagged its third multibillion-pound deal so far this month after securing a lead role advising French electronics supplier Sonepar on its A2.5bn (£1.7bn) bid for Dutch rival Hagemeyer.

    1 minute read